Previously:
Hip Hop Top 50 Lists: A Kenyan Approach
50 Greatest Female MCs of All Time: A Kenyan Approach
Coming Up:
50 Greatest Rap Albums of All Time
50 Greatest Rap Songs of All Time
50 Greatest Rap Verses of All Time
50 Greatest Hip Hop Collabs of All Time
There are several ingredients to a successful music group. First and foremost, is obviously Talent. Whether the group is all-lyricist, an MC and the DJ, an MC and instrumentalists – however the crew has been put together – the best groups have all members pulling their weight equally. Another vital cog in the group machine is Chemistry. We have borne witness to groups where each MC is undeniably phenomenal on the mic. Yet when they come together, the results are admittedly sub-par. Yaani, it’s less of Voltron and more of Soul Train – in the sense of everyone being more intent on breaking out their best moves with little regard to whoever came before or whoever’s coming after (pause…). To use a WWF (the only REAL wrestling) analogy, anytime a new member gets tagged in, excitement should build for what they are about to unleash. Whether it’s bars or some deft DJ handiwork – or even an infectious call-&-response by a hype man extraordinaire. After all, a group is only as great as the sum of its parts. Think The Legion of Doom or The Rockers (to borrow the tired cliché, if you don’t gerrit, forgerrabourrit)…
For the purposes of this list, ‘group’ includes duos, trios, quartets, even (spoiler alert) 9-man crews. While there are recognized ‘crews’ comprising several groups within them, I have decided to look at musical collectives individually as much as possible. Plus, it must be an actual group; whose journey as a group can be traced. Not just individual artistes finding strength in numbers, friendship, or any other thing that brings humans together, coming together for the obligatory collective album to represent that union – then quickly going their separate ways, until the next one. After all, there are collectives with many groups each bringing a unique dynamic, as well as mediocre (or downright wack) artistes hidden in the shadows cast by the glare of the crew’s brightest luminaries. So, no Juice Crew, Terror Squad, Flipmode Squad, DITC, Ukoo Flani Mau Mau…
As always, let’s chop it up – Who did I criminally leave out? Who would you have placed differently?
Here we go…
10 Honourable Mentions
The Streets [UK]
Atmosphere [USA]
The Firm [USA]
The Diplomats a.k.a DipSet
Audio Kusini [KEN]
So Solid Crew [UK]
The Pharcyde [USA]
Gangwe Mobb [TZ]
GidiGidi MajiMaji [KEN]
Heavy D & The Boyz [USA]
Fikrah Teule & Brima Maovete’s “Sauti Zetu” (Swahili for “Our Voices”) – aptly released on 12 December 2023 (Kenya’s Jamhuri Day) – is a 6-track EP, the first collaboration between the two artists. Fikrah Teule, repping Mombasani, is a seasoned MC whose repertoire is heavy on socially conscious Hip Hop. His previous works include Falsafa Za Mwendapole (2014 – available on iTunes), Azania Na Wanawe (2020 – available on BandCamp) & Wazalendo Raia (2021 – available on Mofity). Brima Maovete hails from Dandora Hip Hop City. This is actually his second collaborative effort of the year after “Kiswahealing II”, the sequel to 2021’s stellar “Kiswahealing” (both with the incomparable Kitu Sewer) –available on all DSPs. (Side note: “Kiswahealing” is also one of my favourite KEHipHop project titles (along with K-South’s “Nairobbery” & “Vulga Lugha” by N.A.N.N.O.M.A).
As alluded to on the EP cover artwork, “Sauti Zetu” is also the duo’s moniker – & a good hint, I think, to reasonably expect a “Sauti Zetu II” at some point in the future following this solid offering.
The EP endeavours to be a time capsule for the zeitgeist of the socio-economic times we find ourselves in – in the vein of “there’s a war going on outside nobody’s safe from…” (word to the late, great H.N.I.C, Prodigy of Mobb Deep). To let Fikrah tell it: “The project was meant to uplift the masses. We want to speak for the unheard, unsung heroes whose contribution to our nation building often goes overlooked.” This, the tag-team does to more than satisfactory results.
The title track, helmed by Ares69 (Tracks 2 – 5 were produced by Kunta Official Beats while KDawg marshalled the closing track, both beatsmiths from Truce Label), kicks things off. Harry Kimani’s somber vocals on the chorus set the tone for the theme of the project (“Mi’ wacha niongee/Nikisema siko sawa/si mimi pekee/sauti zetu tuzipaze; ndizo power…”). The track highlights the aspirations of a people living in uncertain times. It has been a long minute since I heard Harry Kimani so I took great delight in the fact that his vocal chops are still intact. This is also probably the most incisively, introspectively rapped track by both MCs & was a dope choice for a lead track.
“Hip Hop (Watanabe)” starts off with a Tupac Shakur sample, followed by a fiery verse from the esteemed femcee L-Ness. The simple hook (“Hip Hop/Hurray”) fits the feel of the instrumental that evokes Golden Age-nostalgia. As the protagonists clarify in the music video’s description on YouTube, “the anthem pays homage to hip hop as the world celebrates the 50-year anniversary of the rich tradition. ‘Watanabe’ is a sheng word for die-hard hip-hop heads. It’s derived from one of the best hip hop show hosts in Kenya, Mr. Bernard Okumu… that’s where “Nabe” comes from and “Wata” implies a community of hip hop enthusiasts who continue supporting the movement just like Nabe himself.” I found this to be a ‘3-D’ way of presenting the art – an extra dimension to the more overt meaning always makes me pay closer attention.
“Revolution” features heavy weight contributions courtesy of Elijah Moz & upstart MC Msito. Other than the top-notch bars brought by the duo, the change of lyrical pace from the more conversational stylings of Fikrah Teule & Brima to the more wordplay-centric flow adds a new dimension & counters the latent threat of monotony that may come with a mono-concept project such as this.
“Waandishi” can be described as the manifesto of Sauti Zetu, declaring the two wordsmiths’ intent to take up their rightful place in the pantheon of literary greats such as Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, John Kiriamiti, Francis Imbuga, Meja Mwangi, Ali Mazrui, Wallah Bin Wallah to mention but a few. Nguchi P (“Mwandishi ‘kashamiri kwenye watunzi hodari”) is up to the task, bringing the usanifu you’d find in a Kiswahili high school textbook – plus that vintage Ukoo Flani vibe.
“Burn” paints a timeline of how a country’s politics done wrong may take it down a perilous path – from elections, to ineffective formulation of policies to the likely consequences when public frustration reaches fever pitch. Nem R Lauryn Hill-esque crooning is soulful yet lined with a hint of danger, capturing the essence of the warning that is the song.
To conclude the set, “Better Learn” featuring a gravelly Reggae hook from Killa Loop is a call for unity – since ultimately, we’re all dealing with the same issues under the sun despite our different walks of & paths in Life.
Overall, “Sauti Zetu” is a cohesive project that stays true to the concept in subject matter, lyrical content, featured artists & the sound bed which forms the musical backdrop for all these. Definitely among the best KEHipHop projects of the year. My only knock would be the mixing & mastering – for instance, the sound level in Track 1 is noticeably lower than the succeeding Tracks 2 & 3. I would have also liked for the MCs to shoot the listener a glimmer of hope amidst the gloom & dire circumstances. Then again, knowing how human nature will cause one to cling onto a spider web of positivity & forget all else (despite everything around them falling apart), perhaps sometimes it is best to be simply presented with the truth unadulterated & undiluted. The type of dose to make you lose your sauti, be calm & let “Sauti Zetu” lead the way.
Notable Bars:
“Huwezi take freedom for granted ka’ ushaingia jela/
Kukosa justice ile wengine hununua kwa hela/
Cut long story short/ Here nani hu-call shots/ tukiumia?
Ni free will au kuna self-interests kututumia?…
– Fikrah Teule [“Sauti Zetu”]
“Man, usipojituma, unatumwa; unashikanishwa ka’ gum/
Plan ya social reforms gani, ka’ uptown unahitaji slum?/
Daily bread isipo-come, tumbo zina-burn ka’ busaa na cham/
On the other hand, kukosa maji inaweza turn into ‘red rum’…
– Brima Maovete [“Hip Hop (Watanabe)”]
You can cop “SAUTI ZETU” @ Ksh. 450 in 3 easy steps:
(1) Pay via M-Pesa
Till Number: 9335403
Account Name: Endeleza Sanaa
(2) After payment, kindly forward confirmation message and your email address to WhatsApp number 0715164477, Maovete@gmail.com or Fikraia@gmail.com.
(3) A download link will then be sent to you to access the EP.
Previously:
Hip Hop Top 50 Lists: A Kenyan Approach
50 Greatest Female MCs of All Time: A Kenyan Approach
50 Greatest Rap Groups of All Time: A Kenyan Approach
Coming Up:
50 Greatest Rap Songs of All Time
50 Greatest Rap Verses of All Time
50 Greatest Hip Hop Collabs of All Time
50 Greatest Hip Hop Instrumentals of All Time
Putting together a musical body of work is an at-times unappreciated art. Different artists approach it differently and in skimming through the various musical volumes, it becomes evident that not enough artists have mastered this fine art. Especially in today’s ‘microwave’ singles-driven culture, some do not even see the need to work on an album/EP/mixtape. Indeed, some artists simply dig through their hard drives and cobble together a couple of singles and slap the title ‘album’ on this collection of songs – songs that, in many cases, have no correlation whatsoever to each other (whether stylistically or as part of any larger scheme).
So, what comprises a dope – nay, classic – album? I would argue five main ingredients: Quality, (right) Quantity, Sequencing, Mixing & Mastering and Cohesion. Quality refers to the actual music – top-tier beats, the rhymes, the flows. Quantity refers to the length of the album – these days there seems to be an increasingly-thinning line between what constitutes an album or an EP, at least as far as length is concerned. Some projects touted as albums are simply too short to qualify as such! On the opposite end of the spectrum are albums that are way too lengthy to be truly cohesive or to even maintain listener interest. Surprisingly (or maybe not), this ‘blemish’ has become a staple of the streaming era – where the length of some projects couldn’t possibly be anything other than a blatant cash grab for those streaming dollars. In my opinion, music quality is usually the ultimate loser.
Sequencing, to me, is probably the most striking element in an album. Simply put, the album’s organization (how the songs follow each other). Even when preparing one of my projects, that’s probably the part of the process I put the most premium on after beat selection and writing the rhymes to fit. Sequencing may be dictated by the need to follow a certain theme or story (especially for concept albums) or to make the sound and mood of the album more cohesive. Ever listened to an album and you felt like it was trying to go in 7 different directions at the same time? Sequencing was most probably the missing link.
Mixing & Mastering is the spice for the gumbo – that makes it all make sense how it came together. A lot of dope songs or projects content-wise have been made to sound pedestrian ‘coz of missing this one element. Conversely, there are average bodies of work that sound so phenomenal over some good speakers that they sometimes get more credit than they probably merit. Cohesion is the relationship each song has to the other on the project; do those songs being on the same project make sense? – whether sonically, concept-wise/thematically or even as far as the features.
There are also the intangibles: albums that influenced a region/era, albums that influenced a whole sound, those that are a part of Hip Hop folklore (for one reason or another – including non-music reasons), iconic album cover art (Yes! This is important) & so on…
A couple of disclaimers: Firstly, there are those unique MCs who practically have a classic discography, let alone a solitary definitive album. In the interest of making the list as inclusive as possible, I have restricted them to the one album in the catalogue that is my favorite. Also, the list tries its best to be representative of the essence of the different eras of Hip Hop to this point. For this reason, there are albums that, despite being dope in their own right, have been left out for sounding too similar to the musical zeitgeist of the time (because, truth be told, you can make a credible 50 from ‘90s & ‘00s offerings alone). Also, in the same spirit of representation, this selection reflects projects that have shaped my personal journey in Hip Hop.
Haya, twende…
Gangstarr – Moment of Truth [USA]
The Roots – undun [USA]
Blu & Exile – below the heavens [USA]
Sarkodie – Sarkology [GHA]
GZA/Genius – Liquid Swords [USA]
Stogie T – The Empire of Sheep [RSA]
Mos Def – Black On Both Sides [USA]
MF DOOM – Operation: DOOMSDAY [USA]
Cannibal Ox – The Cold Vein [USA]
Apollo Brown & O.C – Trophies [USA]
**Special shout-out to my brother MURZ DELL for his useful insights – though I’m sure overall, his personal list looks very different…😅
In Our Previous Episode: 50 Greatest Male MCs of All Time
Coming Up:
50 Greatest Rap Groups of All Time
50 Greatest Hip Hop Collabs of All Time
50 Greatest Rap Albums of All Time
50 Greatest Rap Songs of All Time
50 Greatest Rap Verses of All Time
Time now for the ladies (in hindsight, it really should have been ‘Ladies First’, word to Queen Latifah and Monie Love). The criteria is as rudimentary as it gets: Bars; Flow; Impact; Influence; Versatility; Legendary Hip Hop moments; Commercial success.
I am of the opinion that when it comes to giving the ladies their just due, they somewhat get a raw deal. See, while the world continues to progress at a speed we can barely keep up with, the male dominance in this Game we call Hip Hop remains a microcosm of society as it was when Hip Hop first started. Where a man is more respected when he bears a more aggressive demeanour – while a woman has to be ‘feminine’ and easy on the eye (with sexy vocals to boot) to garner any attention. I feel this somewhat stifles female MCs (stylicized as ‘Femcee’ – perhaps with a hint of condescension?) as far as subject matter as well as other creative options. There’s only so much a ‘lady’ is allowed to rap about, right? For those who can (fortunately and competently) paint the same vivid lyrical portraits of the struggle as their male counterparts, it becomes a double-edged sword of sorts – the respect from peers and ‘Heads’ more often than not does not cause the dogged commerce-driven music industry to perk its ears. Props. Or plaques. Choose one. It’s no wonder then that in all of Hip Hop’s different eras, there’s almost never any debate as who the singular ‘Queen’ is – many have tried; apparently there can be only one at any one time. Conversely, a dude can use the same aforementioned testosterone to spit bars about thug love, a violent stick-up, an abstract story, self-promotional braggadocio, a lyrical therapy session, rhymes about doing laundry (!)…the list goes on. Hmm. What will a woman rap about that will get her the same eye balls as those with eye balls? Fortunately (for the human male) and most unfortunately (for the Artform), it’s 97.3% of the time body parts, and what those body parts do (And it’s 97.3% – si ni mimi nakushow?). The biggest setback of this state of affairs therefore is that we end up having more templates/clones than true artists. Where ‘K is constant’, so is the state of growth as far as the female rapper ‘subset’ of the Culture is concerned. As you will find, this dilemma is quite aptly captured in my List of 50 – a list which, full disclosure, I had to buy Google dinner plus a movie to grow from 38 or thereabout. I know by the time I hit ‘Post’, I might be kicking myself for leaving out someone truly deserving. But that has been my personal experience with female rap over time: not generating enough energy for me to go digging for gems. And perhaps it was this that informed me having two separate lists for dudes and dudettes – I felt many would get swallowed up by their more illustrious male peers. ‘Illustrious’, here, either by right or by plight (the Hip Hop game’s, that is). However, on the bright side, there are really positive developments both at home and abroad that bode well for the future of ‘femcees’. I’m encouraged that the Hip Hop @ 60 list will look a whole lot different.
With all that said, pull a collective seat for the Ladies.
Hit me up. Let me know what y’all think. Bless!
* Only bringing Mwafreeka into this ‘coz he was present the day at Esoteric Records when I realized Kaz is f’ng dope…
** My personal Favourite…
5 Kenyan Honourable Mentions
Femi One
Monski
MC Sharon
Veryl Mkali Wao
Tasha Xclusive
(Special shout outs to Eddo, Jaxxsoh, OldSchool Blood, Shahidi Xcalibur, Sharp MC, Ban2Slim, Dennis Begisen, Seeker & Sir Miriga Ofula for your insights).
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In honour of Hip Hop’s Golden Anniversary, kenkoast.ke presents a series of articles to celebrate the one culture that has probably influenced the world the most in recent human history.
First up, LISTS: The bread-&-butter (or poison, depending) of any Hip Hop Head worth his/her salt.
Kicking this off, I was thinking this should really be a FAVORITE OF ALL TIME not a GREATEST OF ALL TIME. I mean, when you think about it, isn’t that all these lists really are? The opinion of the writer of the piece, informed by their own inclinations (oh, forget the ‘criteria’ they put up – the list itself is more often than not inconsistent with said criteria)? It’s quite simple: each Hip Hop aficionado has had a very individual path in this culture – & your preferences logically reflect as much. See, the thing we always have to ask when it comes to lists is 1) what was the motivation behind it, 2) how can a personal opinion be wrong, & 3) what shapes YOUR list? Is it the bandwagon (where you must mention, say, KRS-One because everyone says he’s a GOAT – while you personally don’t feel his music)?
And that’s the thing with ‘GOAT’ lists; you’ll almost always be disappointed if you take them to heart. Okay, sometimes the criticism is quite warranted – some lists are so shamelessly sensationalist that there’s simply no other reason they could have been put together other than to ‘trend’. You know the ones. On the flip side, apart from the widely divergent takes on how to measure ‘greatness’, there always appears to be an unspoken pact of unanimity among ‘Heads’ – where a list is deemed at best, ‘incomplete’ & at worst, ‘wack’ if certain names do not appear on it. In a world of conformists & bandwagoners, many are hesitant to give their true uninfluenced takes for fear of being accused of ‘Hip Hop sacrilege’ & not ‘knowing Hip Hop’. I get it; we’re social creatures & we all want to belong. Which is somewhat ironic in a culture that has always placed a high pedigree on originality, trailblazing & setting the trends that others are to follow. After all, we are as different as our fingerprints; our paths in life, individual tastes, musical palettes – all of it.
Now, a Top 50 list to encompass 50 years of this artform that has birthed stars a galaxy is a near-impossible task. To even up the odds a bit, I have split the MC lists by the 2 sexes (to be clear, he/him & she/her – in 2023, you don’t leave room to get misquoted). While ‘an MC is an MC is an MC’, this Voltron-esque creation called Hip Hop (just like human society) has been predominantly testosterone-fueled. It therefore occurred to me that there are very dope ‘femcees’ who don’t get the recognition due to them; not as an indictment of their skill, but merely because of how tight a capsule a list of 10, 20, 50, or even 100 is.
The idea for this series of lists was born from a reflection of how personal the journey through this culture truly is. From the first rap you ever heard, the first time you realized you were hooked, writing hormone-driven, perfume-oversprayed letters in high school plagiarizing ‘All I Need’, the shedding of gangsta tears (once you realize that you’re never getting a reply to that letter) with Jay’s ‘Song Cry’ to hold you up…it’s a breaking of the ‘virginity’ you never forget – even if it was while trying to will your drunken self to match the energy of ‘Ante Up’ (without fully comprehending what exactly this was that you were hearing) in a spasmodically-lit, sweat-infused Moi Avenue club.
I’ve tried to be as deliberate as possible: other than the choices, these lists are a map of my journey in Hip Hop. Certain picks reflect the first Rap Music I ever heard (my intro to the culture), others: voices, styles, flows, careers that stick with me to date. The method has a very bespoke ‘madness’ to it.
I have deliberately left out the MC-Producer hybrid (I hear a separate list calling). So, no Kanye West nor Chizn Brain…
The other unique twist with these lists is its nuanced take – that in celebrating the globalization of Hip Hop this past half-century, these are not US Hip Hop lists. I have included MCs & songs from different parts of the world (with Kenya suitably represented – I must admit, it’s a really great look seeing our #KEHipHop heroes standing toe-to-toe with greats we grew up idolizing). The only qualification to be on is whether I felt your music. This ‘mash up’ also represents where our young 50-year-old is going next – for instance, the growing trend of US artists expressing an interest in working with African acts. It however goes without saying that the homeplace of Hip Hop has the overwhelming majority of entrants.
Come to think of it, Hip Hop probably wouldn’t have gotten to where it is without ‘Friends of the Culture’ from outside the culture (artists from other genres, people who introduced it into rooms it probably otherwise wouldn’t have even peeked in, & so on). These, too, should get their moment in the sun further along the series.
As always, any conversation birthed from these words is always welcome & most appreciated.
Finally, this season is also a time capsule: I’ll always remember where I was, & in what manner, I celebrated the Golden Anniversary of this big part of me. Putting this together was the equivalent of putting together a scrap book of Hip Hop superheroes like we did back in the hey – albeit more analog. The selection of photos is meant to deliberately invoke that vibe.
Upcoming Lists:
50 Greatest Female MCs of All Time
50 Greatest Rap Groups of All Time
50 Greatest Hip Hop Collabs of All Time
50 Greatest Rap Albums of All Time
50 Greatest Rap Songs of All Time
50 Greatest Rap Verses of All Time
…& more.
In the intense words of Willie D (of the Geto Boys; not on this list, but a compadre to someone who is), “No Mo’ Talk!”
List 1: The 50 Greatest Male MCs of All Time.
My criteria is simple: Rewind-worthiness, Impact (both to the game & to me personally), Impact II (Outside Hip Hop), Legendary Moments in Hip Hop History, Versatility (in style, flow, subject matter etc), Catalogue (read: Volume of Material), Classic Albums, Presentation (including Music Videos & Live Performances) & Originality/Uniqueness (simply put, being unforgettable once you’re out of the room or the song is over). Then of course, you can’t rule out the intangibles: when you can’t quite put your finger on why exactly you connected with an artist – you just did. Obviously, era bias is a thing so, there’s that (not too many new school cats on here). However, as a cliché ‘student of the game’, this bias is not too prevalent – my bias exhibits itself in other forms; a true trademark of Hip Hop Best Of… lists. Irriswarririz…
Twende kazi.
*Hearing Ja Rule’s “Always On Time” (w/ Ashanti) & “What’s Luv?” (w/ Fat Joe & Ashanti) back in ’02 is what got me wanting to rap so he definitely had to be on my list – Ah! Illogical bias strikes again…
10 Honourable Mentions
Drake [CAN]
Fabolous [USA]
Big L [USA]
Papoose [USA]
Kamaa [KEN]
Fat Joe [USA]
Inspectah Deck [USA]
Bamboo [KEN]
Treach [USA]
Mike Skinner (The Streets) [UK]